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2012 volkswagen routan Reviews and News

Automakers offering restoration services for vehicles they built decades before isn’t exactly uncommon. Aston Martin’s Works Heritage Service will gladly maintain your wanna-be-Bond DB5. Mercedes-Benz Classic will restore a 600 Grosser, a 300SL Gullwing, and everything in between.
And Volkswagen, it seems, is more than willing to give your Microbus a museum-quality restoration in the same city it was built nearly 50-60 years ago.
VW first established a group within its commercial vehicles division to restore vintage Transporters in 2007, but the 100 vehicles the group has since cranked out were merely for Volkswagen’s own collection (hey, it does have a museum to feed). That said, the small operation has moved to a larger, 75,000-square foot facility, and is now opening its doors and services to the general public.
The timing couldn’t be better, since interest in vintage Transporters appears to be on the rise in Europe. So much so, in fact, that Volkswagen’s Dutch branch is actually importing Kombis from Brazil -- which largely resemble the second-generation T2 --and customizing them with a retro touch.
Unlike that operation, which added old soul to new vehicles, VW’s new “Commercial Vehicles Oldtimer” program breathes new life into old vehicles. Services performed range from light repairs to a full restoration. Customers also have the option of restomodding their vehicles, although those who desire a faithful restoration can take heart in the fact the Oldtimer group has access to extensive historical records and original parts.
Regardless of the job performed, owners receive documentation of the work/restoration process, along with certificates that prove the work was performed in-house by VW. We imagine they’ll also get a kick out of their Buses being remanufactured in Hannover, Germany – virtually right where they were built the first time around.
Source: VW Commercial Vehicles

It's easy enough to lambaste the Routan for what it's not -- a "true" Volkswagen -- but let's instead focus on what it is: a competent minivan. Although some competitors pack their vans with widescreen entertainment for the kids, super-luxurious interiors, or dress-up kits that theoretically suggest manliness, the Routan seems to play the middle the field. Its exterior styling is handsome and pleasant, albeit somewhat pedestrian.

Volkswagen’s Dutch division recently introduced an interesting new camper van – although seeing as the vehicle is essentially a second-generation Microbus, we’re not entirely sure “new” is the appropriate word.
Although the T2 “bay window” Bus was replaced in Europe by the Vanagon in late 1979, it wasn’t eradicated from the globe altogether. Other markets in Africa and South America continued to build the van. Presently, Volkswagen do Brasil is the lone keeper of the T2 flame; although the so-called Kombi now sports an updated dash panel, a water-cooled 1.4-liter I-4, and a radiator mounted up front, it’s largely identical to the last T2s built in Germany decades ago.
European enthusiasts have been importing these Brazilian Buses for years, but this latest venture is somewhat interesting, seeing as VW’s official Dutch distributor is getting in on the action. Better yet, the company also allows customers to customize the vehicle to their heart’s content.
Features like a two-burner LP stove, refrigerator, wash basin, camping toilet, fold-down rear bench seat, and rotating front seats are standard, but buyers have quite a bit of say in how the completed Bus looks. VW adds a two-tone exterior paint scheme (almost all Brazilian Kombis are painted just white), and buyers will have their choices from more than 20 accent colors. Interior trim is a little more limited, but the fabric choices are still quite varied, and included retro plaid patterns as well. Perhaps more impressive are the cabinets – gone are the tacky, dark units of old; in their place are modern birch fixtures with matching flooring.
Exterior options include a retro-shaped wooden luggage rack, sporty five-spoke wheels, lowering springs, chromed bumpers and exterior trim, and a faux spare tire cover, which does a great job of hiding the front radiator and making the new Bus look old.
Ordering a new-old T2 camper van isn’t exactly cheap: pricing for the Kombis runs between 45,000 and 56,000 Euros, which is the equivalent of $62,000 to $77,000. Given that pricing – not to mention it’s very unlikely the Kombi could be made FMVSS-compliant – don’t expect these retro campers to head stateside anytime soon.
Source: Volkswagen

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